Grant Williams on the Celtics' focus, KD rumors, and the latest on his contract extension talks

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Grant Williams and the returning members of the Boston Celtics didn't have their season end how they wanted to, coming just two wins short of winning it all.

And as the days count down until a new season begins, it's clear their focus is on getting off to a better start which made the going much tougher than it should have been last season.

After a rocky 20-21 start under then-first-year head coach Ime Udoka, Boston finished the regular season with a flurry (31-10 after the halfway point of the season) which paved the way for the Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals where they lost to Golden State, in six games.

Williams, like most of the Celtics, can't help but think the season might have ended differently if they had not gotten off to such a slow start to the season in which they hovered around the .500 mark until around the All-Star break.

"You realize you have to be yourself from the start," Williams said on Friday. "Everyone is ready to get started."

And by everyone, Williams is referring to the Celtics under contract and not the ones rumored to be on their way to Boston.

Williams is not all that different from most Celtics fans who have heard the seemingly non-stop rumors about Boston being among the teams at the front of the pack in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.

The initial list of teams that Durant was interested in playing for following his trade request from Brooklyn, did not include Boston.

But now, the Celtics have reportedly become one of the favorites to land the perennial All-Star.

And the Boston player mentioned most often with the Durant trade rumors, has been Jaylen Brown.

Williams said he has been in contact with Brown since the rumors began gaining steam this summer.

"It's a significant rumor," said Williams who added, "It's something you want to take for a grain of salt. I feel like JB is mature in his mindset; he knows that. I've talked to him, texted him...it's one of those things, this league is a business. It's one of those things you can't be discouraged by."

In fact, Williams sees it as a compliment that Brown's name has been linked so frequently with Durant.

"We love JB," Williams said. "It shows how valuable he is, the fact that a top-10 player in the world (wants to be traded), and you're the focal point?"

All indications point toward the Celtics beginning the season with their top two players from last season, Jayson Tatum and Brown, still in tow.

Boston has made some key additions in the offseason, acquiring former rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon from Indiana, as well as signing Danilo Gallinari after he cleared waivers.

Malcolm Brogdon, left, Danilo Gallinari, center, and Brad Stevens, right, at introductory press conference.

Both are expected to bolster a Boston bench that was inconsistent most of last season.

Per StatMuse, the Celtics ranked 26th in bench scoring last season, with 30.2 points per game. In Brogdon, Boston adds a career 15.5 points per game scorer who can play both guard positions. The 6-foot-5 wing has found success both as a starter or key reserve.

Despite having spent the bulk of his career as a starter, the Celtics have made it clear that he will be used primarily as a reserve.

“I’m a high-level player in the NBA,” Brogdon told reporters shortly after being traded to Boston. “It would take a lot for a team like that to get me. It’s a testament to the Boston Celtics and how much they want to win. They are willing to spend and willing to have a guy making $20 million come off the bench as a sixth man and help them win a championship.”

The addition of Gallinari is also viewed as a step in the right direction for Boston to get back to the Finals next season. A 13-year veteran, the 6-10 forward is a career 15.6 points per game scorer who is a career 38.2 percent shooter from 3-point range and has made at least 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in three of the last four seasons.

"I can help a lot just by doing what I've been doing for all these years," Gallinari said on the A-List Podcast with A. Sherrod Blakely, Kwani A. Lunis and Gary Washburn. "They did a great job last year, but I think I can help."

So does Williams who is eligible for a contract extension before the start of the season.

I asked him on Friday where things stood on extension talks with the Celtics.

Williams said no progress has been made, adding that it's not something he's losing sleep over.

"For me, it's a matter of focusing on basketball," he said. "It's never really concerned me in the past; won't concern me in the future. I'm more concerned about getting (Banner) number 18."